Loco-regional deep hyperthermia (hyperthermia treatment)

Electro-deep hyperthermia is a non-surgical and particularly gentle treatment method. It is a form of multidisciplinary cancer treatment. It acts directly and only locally on the tumor tissue. The tumor tissue is heated with the help of microwaves. Healthy tissue is not damaged. Tumor cells are susceptible to heat. The heating leads to a local increase in temperature to a maximum of 42 degrees. 

The high temperatures cause oxygen starvation and nutrient depletion by reducing the blood flow to the tumor cell. The tumor cell is weakened and becomes more vulnerable to other therapies or the immune system. Under hyperthermia, the tumor cell forms heat shock proteins (e.g. HSP 72) on its surface and thus activates the natural killer cells against the tumor cell. This also leads to hyperacidity, which promotes the death of the tumor cells through programmed cell death (apoptosis). 

As the tumor tissue is supplied with more blood through hyperthermia, chemotherapeutic agents reach the tumor cells in higher doses. Hyperthermia also increases the effectiveness of radiotherapy. Various studies (phase I and II studies) have been published that show the benefits of hyperthermia in various cancers. Studies have shown that hyperthermia can alleviate tumor pain, improve the quality of life of cancer patients and enable longer survival times.